Introduction to Illustrator Training

Course duration

2 Days

Course Outline

This Adobe Illustrator training course introduces students to the basics of Illustrator. It is packed with hands-on exercises so that students can learn by doing. Our instructor-led online classes are conducted in the CS6 version of the software. Your instructor will point out the minor differences between versions where they exist. For our custom instructor-led online and onsite classes, we use the version of the software you use in your office.

Get to know the Adobe Illustrator work area.

Learn to use the selection and shape tools in Illustrator.

Learn to transform objects.

Learn to effectively use the pen tool.

Learn to work with colors and painting

Learn about type in Illustrator.

Learn to work with layers.

Learn to blend shapes.

Learn to work with the brush tool.

Experience with basic software programs such as Microsoft Word

Adobe Illustrator Jumpstart

Setting Up the Artboard

Creating the Background Shape

Combining Shapes

Sampling a Color

Applying a Fill and Stroke

Creating the Smaller Combined Shape

Applying Color and Effects

Cloning the Small Shape

Aligning and Distributing the Shapes

Adding Text

Applying the Warp Effect

Adding Text to the Small Shape Areas

Distorting a Shape

Importing an Image

Adding Lines of Text

Getting to Know the Workspace

Opening Illustrator

Exploring the New Interface

Choosing a Workspace

Opening a File

The Document Window

Using Artboards

Navigating Multiple Artboards

Using the Artboards Panel

Creating New Artboards

Switching Screen Modes

Changing Your View

Previews versus Outlines

Zooming and Scrolling

Scrolling with the Hand Tool

Changing Views with the Navigator Panel

The Tools Panel

Using Tools and Panels

The Control Panel

Moving the Control Panel

Panel Groups and the Dock

Custom Workspaces

Saving Workspaces

Using the Manage Workspaces Dialog Box

Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts

Default Shortcuts

Custom Shortcuts

Saving Shortcut Sets

Deleting Shortcut Sets

Illustrator Essentials

Using the Shape Tools

Repositioning and Visually Resizing the Rectangle

Finding or Changing the Shape's Dimensions Using the Transform Panel

Rotating and Shearing Using the Transform Panel

Constraining a Shape

Entering Exact Dimensions

Selecting Artwork

Helpful Keyboard Shortcuts for Selections

The Selection Tools

Isolation Mode

Using Shape and Transform Tools to Create Artwork

Using the Transform Tools

Adding a Fill Color

Entering a Shape Size in the Transform Panel

Viewing in Outline View

Rotating the Shape

Changing the Color of the Triangles

Using Layers When Building an Illustration

Creating a New Blank Layer

Cutting and Pasting Objects

Creating Bubbles

Cloning the Bubble Group

Repeating a Resize Transform

Moving Objects from One Layer to Another

Adding Color

Basics of the Appearance Panel

Changing Colors

Adding Effects

Creating a Colorful Illustration

Using Live Paint

Converting the Artwork to a Live Paint Group

Applying Live Pain to the Group

Adding a Symbol to Your Artwork

Expanding the Symbol

Saving Swatches

What is a Global Color?

Selecting the Same Color

Saving a Set of Colors as a Group

Creating a Color Group from Selected Colors

Using the Color Panel

Adding Pantone (Spot) Colors

Adding Pantone Colors

Working with the Drawing Tools

Working with the Pen tool

Drawing Straight Lines

Drawing Curved Lines

Drawing Hinged Curves

Drawing Curved Lines to Straight Lines

Drawing Straight Lines to Curved Lines

Tracing Images

Placing an Image as a Template

Placing an Image Using Image Trace

Other Drawing Tools

Using the Line Segment and Arc Tools

Using the Pencil, Smooth, and Path Eraser Tools

Using the Eraser Tool

Editing Existing Paths

Adding and Removing Points

Refining a Curve

Cutting and Joining Paths

Combining Shapes Using the Shape Builder Tool

Combining the Shapes

Subtracting with the Shape Builder Tool

Creating the Fish Eyes

Exploring Additional Color Options

Taking a Look at the Finished Illustration

Adding Tonal Values with Gradients

Customizing an Existing Gradient

Saving the Gradient

Applying the Second Instance of the Gradient

Using the Gradient Panel

Updating a Gradient

Creating and Using Patterns

Creating a Bounding Box

Applying the Pattern

Editing a Pattern Fill

Locating Existing Patterns

Finishing Up the Illustration

Creating a Color Group

Working with and Formatting Text

Formatting Type

Paragraph Formatting

Formatting Imported Type

Paragraph and Character Styles

Editing Styles

Advanced Techniques with Text

Text on a Path

Warping Text

Text in a Shape

Creating Outlines

Check Spelling

Find and Replace

Organizing Your Illustrations with Layers

Getting to Know the Layers Panel

Using Layers to Organize Your Illustrations

Using the Layers Panel to Make Selections

Creating New Layers and Moving Items between Layers

Paste Remembers Layers

Template Layers

Adobe Illustrator CS6 Digital Classroom [Paperback]

InterSource Geneva, a premier Information Technology training firm, offers over 400 different courses on server, database and programming technologies, as well as end-user classes for the most popular office, graphics and design applications. We serve clients in Switzerland (Geneva, Lausanne, Bern, Basel, Zurich) and throughout Europe (France, Germany, Austria, Finland, Sweden, England, Netherlands, Spain, etc.).

InterSource offers custom, private courses at client sites, standard public courses in our Geneva classroom, and online training via live Web conference. Training is offered in English and many other languages (Francais, Deutsch, Espanol, Italiano.)